BMarieL

Hello,

We are a family of 4, including a 3 and a 7 year old. We have previously stayed in Kauai for vacations, generally the Hyatt in Poipu and the Westin Villas in Princeville. Now we are looking at the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the big island. We walked through the property once, years ago before we had kids, and vowed never to stay at such a "theme park" type place.

My, how things can change when you have kids! We desire a large and kid-friendly pool complex, casual and not-too-pricey places to eat, and a resort that is relaxed yet pampering. We're going to spend most of our time hanging out by the pool and maybe trying easy snorkeling with the kids. Ideally we'd have a place with a kitchen, but can't seem to find that with a great pool complex. My daughter would like the dolphins too, can you really see them?

We also have at home some type of offer from Hilton for a timeshare pitch deal at this hotel. Has anyone done that?

All advice and feedback is greatly aprpeciated. Including which part of the resort to stay in (or suggestions on other resorts/islands).

BMarieL

sylvia3

A-bay is beautiful, calm, good snorkeling; lots of turtles.
Several condo complexes in Waikoloa beach resort, but most aren't right on the water, and just have the usual (nice) pools. Note that there are lots of new dining options in the King and Queens malls (even a food court!) nearby, a good thing for kids who just want a burger or pizza (or ice cream); the new "gourmet" supermarket there has a very good deli, also.
I'd say the Hilton is a good option for you.

Grcxx3

It's been about 6 years since we stayed there - but at the time, with boys in late elementary school, it was perfect. We did it for a few days (before heading to a more "adult" place for DH's 50th birthday) and it was a good fit.

Decent food (altho, I wouldn't call it cheap), lots to do, and very kid/family friendly. We handled it for about 3 days (that was enough) and then moved on.

Shar

This place is perfect if you have kids - Not so much if you don't. It is a "disneyland" type of resort so the kids will love it. TIMESHARE deal - leave your credit cards and wallet at home! It is easy to get sucked into a deal.

qwovadis

Have stayed there X 3 while parrticipating in the Ironman X 3.

Nice hotel location far from Kona you really need a rental

car....good for kids very Disneyesque beach not that great.

Prefer the Hapuna Prince for prettier beach better deals on

www.priceline.com though usually these days.

or www.stay-hawaii.com for nice upscale B&Bs

like to www.carrentals.com circumnavigate

the Big Island do some Volcanoes NP for best experience...

Time shares are a scam skip it unless you are super budget.

They pester you to death very high pressure...

Happy Hunting,

offlady

I've stayed there and enjoyed it. Just be aware that getting around the resort (between the hotel room and lobby, pool, restaurants etc.) does take time! I thought I had time to head to the pool before our dinner reservations, and found that just getting to and from the hotel room took most of my time. Great if you are not on a schedule.
The company that did Disney's monorail also designed the hotel's monorail--that's why it feels so Disney-esque.

We've also done the timeshare presentations for the free gift. We told the salesman we weren't interested in buying the Kona timeshare but he continued on with his sales pitch. He got upset with us at the end while all the other salesmen were popping champagne corks to indicate they've just made a sale, but we received a $250 Macy's shopping gift card for listening to the entire sales talk. You have to be strong willed and not give in to the temptation of buying, which many people end up doing. They are experts at selling.

sassy_cat

I've not stayed there and wouldn't want to with or without kids. We had lunch there once while staying at the Marriott next door. At the time it included the use of the facilities (pool time for the kids) but our kids actually preferred the smaller pool at the Marriott where there were fewer kids competing for the slide!
The resort was just too big and OTT for us.

Maybe you could have the best of both worlds and stay in the Waikoloa condos. Get a day pass to the Hilton pools (not sure if you can still use the pool if you have lunch there but it's worth checking)

andrews98682

You're right about the Hilton being a theme park. I stayed at the Marriott a few years ago and loved it, although I don't have kids. The kids that were staying there did seem to be having fun, though. To me, the Marriott seemed like a better place to stay. Yeah, the Hilton had the light rail, the gigantic pool and probably more kids programs, but it seemed too big for me. Also, the Marriott is right on the beach, and that was a huge plus.

Kailani

The entertainment at the Waikoloa King's and Queen's shops is quite good, in my opinion. John Keawe (slack key guitarist, composer and singer) plays on Tuesday nights, and his wife, Hope, hula dances quite often. There are local hula halaus (schools) which are excellent performing with good musicians several nights a week. It's free, and it a nice thing to do before dinner or after site-seeing, even if you are not staying at the Hilton. http://www.waikoloabeachresort.com/i...ekly-calendar/

Kids enjoy watching the dolphin shows even without participating, and taking the boat or monorail from your room is also fun for kids even if a bit showy for adults.